Fire-extinguishing means



FILED SEPT-19, 1-922.

Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

unites stares EDWARD J. WHITE, or CHESTEE,.PENNSYLVANIA.

naE-Exmmmwme MEANS.

Application filed seetiri'iieile, 1922] Serial "170,589,183.

To all whom it may concern: T 7

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. lVI-IITE, a

citizen of'the United States, and a resident.

of Chester, in the county of Delawareyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire'- Extinguishing Means; and I do'hereby 'declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the'same.

This invention relates to improvements in fire extinguishing means and particularly to such as are especially adaptable for use in extinguishing fire occurring in a moving picture apparatus,one object of the invention being to provide simple and efficient means which shall be operated automatically to discharge chemical or. other fire extinguishing fluid in the form of spray, on 'a burning section of film near the point of exit of the film from the upper reel receptacle or casing and also to automatically cause extinguishing fluid to be sprayed ontoall exposed parts of the reeled film should the first spraying of the fluid failto extinguish the fire of the burning film'.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawing is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating an embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing, Ihave shown at 1 the upper reel casing or receptacle of a moving picture machine, and a film reel mounted in said casing or receptacle is represented at 2. The film 3 passes from the reel through an openin 41 and between pairs of guide rollers 5. %rom the guide rollers 5, the film passes partly through a casing connection 6 and after passing between guide rollers 78 located in the casing connection, the film forms a loop 9 and then passes through the projecting apparatus indicated by d0tted lines at 10.

Mounted upon the casing or receptacle 1 through the medium of brackets 12, is a reservoir 13 for suitable chemical fire-extinguishing fluid or material which is main- A perforated spray pipelt isfldc'atedf within the casing 1 near the peripheral wall thereof and extends approximately fromone side of the casingfconnection 6'to'the other,,

said pipe being thus so disposed as toap-fv proximately encircle the Qfilm reel and the perforations in said pipe being so disposed as to direct spray of extinguishing fluid to ward the centrally located filni reel. A short perforated spraypipe 16 projects tially' acrossthe casing, connection 6 soasv tobe in position near the pointin proximity to that portion of the film near the loop 6- wheresaid film is most likely to becoine ig nited from the effects of the electric lampof the apparatus.

The casing 17 of valve 18is conr ectjed with the longer spray pipe 15' (at an inter;v 7 5 medi'atepojrtion of the latter) and with the fluid reservoir 13, and'the stem of said valve a 1S providedwv-ith an arm 19. A fus'e'cord 20: is secured at one end] to theyalvearm 19 and after extending through thecasing 1 so as to passincomparatively closeproxin'ifity to'the'fil'm 'reel,the other end or said fuse "cord is secured to'th'e shortspray pipe 16,'or to any other fixed "partnea r the outlet 7 of the casing 1. The fuse cord 20 normally retains the valve 18 closed against the action ofa spring 21 which tends to open it, said spring being connectedat one end with the valve arm 18 and at the other end to a lug21 on the reservoir 13.

The shorter spray pipe 16 is connected with one end of a valve casing 22 and the other end of the latter is connected by a pipe 23 with the fluid tank 13. The valve 2 1- in the casing 22 is provided with an arm 25, to which one end of a fuse cord 26 is secured. This fuse cord extends partially through the casing connection so as to be disposed near portions of the film in proximity to the loop 9 and the projecting apparatus and the inner end of said fuse cord 26 is secured to a fixed part 27 located near the film guide rollers. The fuse cord 26 normally holds the valve 24 closed and a spring 28 attached at one end to the valve arm 25 and at the other end to a lug 29 on casing 1, tends to open said valve.

Should the film become ignited near the projecting apparatus, the disrupture of the fuse cord 26 would release the valve 24 and the spring 28 would act automatically to open said valve and permit fluid from the reservoir 13 to be discharged from the spray pipe 16 onto the burning film. This would in most cases be sufficient to extinguish the fire, but should the latter persist and follow the film to the reeled film, the fuse cord 20 would be disrupted or destroyed and the spring 21 would promptly open the valve 18, thus permitting fluid to enter the longer spray pipe 15 and to be sprayed on all exposed portions of the reeled film, thereby quickly and effectually extinguishing all fire within the film reel casing and saving the major portion of the film.

Various changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In devices of the character described, the combination with a film reel casing and a source of fire extinguishing material, of

a pipe having a perforated portion arranged to discharge in said casing in prox imity to the outlet of said casing and provided With a portion communicating with said source of fire extinguishing material, a valve between the ends: of said pipe, a fuse near the path traveled by a film from said casing, said fuse holding said valve normally closed, and a spring tending to open said valve and operable automatically to open said valve upon disrupture of the fuse.

2. The combination with a film reel casing, of a spray pipe supported within said casing and adapted to approximatelysurround a film reel in said casing, a reservoir for fire-extinguishing material mounted upon said casing, a connection between said reservoir and spray pipe, a valve in said connection, a spring tending to open said valve, and a fuse extending into the casing and operable normally to hold said valve closed.

3. In devices of the character described, the combination with a film reel casing having an outlet, and a reservoir for fire-extinguishing material, of a perforated spray pipe located within said casing and adapted to approximately surround a film reel therein, a shorter perforated spray pipe located. near the outlet of said casing, connections between said spray pipes and said reservoir, valves in said connections, springs tending to open said valves, a fuse operatively con;

nected at one end with one of said valves and secured at its other end within said casing, and a fuse operatively connected at one end with the other valve and having its other end secured near the outlet of the casing, said fuses operable normally to retain said valves closed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDl/VARD J. IVHITE. 

